All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– At least Ryan Seacrest warned viewers last night to put extra time at the end of their TiVos for tonight’s American Idol season finale, but isn’t it still ridiculous that an episode that really boils down to one 30-second announcement of who the winner is, is instead so bloated that it can’t even be contained into a two-hour block?

– By the way, DiaIdol.com predicts last night’s Adam vs. Kris showdown is too close to call. People, did you not hear Adam sing “A Change Is Gonna Come”? It really should not be this close.

– The New York Times jokes, I think, that Jimmy Kimmel might not have a job today after the naughty, but hilarious, riffs on NBC, Fox and his own network at yesterday’s ABC Upfront presentation.

– And Kimmel’s remarks about the new Jay Leno primetime series apparently weren’t that far off from what some at NBC might have thought. Leno, it turns out, was NBC’s third choice to host a nightly primetime show, after Oprah and David Letterman.

– Can’t wait for the remake of Footloose with Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford as Ren McCormack.

– In case you missed the premiere of Glee last night, you can catch the episode at Hulu today.

– Lifetime.com, pegged to the June 7 season three premiere of Army Wives, has produced more than a dozen videos, collected as Homecoming: Real Army Wives, that pay homage to real-life Army wives, whose husbands have been deployed for 15 months or more in Iraq.

– Check out clips from ABC’s new comedies, including Modern Family, the mockumentary-ish family comedy starring Ed “Al Bundy” O’Neill.

– Even the most devoted Trekkies may find the new “video-based encyclopedia” of behind-the-scenes Star Trek info a bit daunting.

– Next up: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

– My Name Is Earl star Ethan Suplee is taking it to Twitter to try to rally fans for a save-the-show campaign. To get onboard, follow the “EarlTwitition.”

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• Filed in American Idol, Comedy, Drama, TV News
• Tags: A Change Is Gonna Come, Adam Lambert, American Idol, Army Wives, Chace Crawford, David Letterman, Ed O'Neill, Ethan Suplee, finale, Footloose, Glee, Gossip Girl, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, Kris Allen, Lifetime, My Name Is Earl, Oprah, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Star Trek, Upfront

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– Law & Order will go for a 20th season on NBC, tying it with classic CBS western Gunsmoke as the longest-running primetime drama.

– Here’s a sneak peek at Fox’s new fall shows, including the awesome Human Target and The Cleveland Show.

– The View co-host Sherri Shepherd will have to split her time between her daytime gig and her new Lifetime sitcom, Sherri, which was picked up by Lifetime today. The autobiographical-ish comedy revolves around Shepherd’s character dealing with her husband’s infidelity by inviting his babymama and her baby to move in with her.

– Send good thoughts to Survivor champ Ethan Zohn, who’s battling a rare form of Hodgkin’s disease.

– Conan O’Brien‘s first Tonight Show guests on June 1: Will Ferrell and Pearl Jam.

– 24 season eight will premiere on Fox with a two-night, four-hour event that kicks off on Jan. 17. Only eight more months to go! Season seven, BTW, even though it just ended last night, is already on DVD today.

– It’s a buzzkill that ABC cancelled Samantha Who?. Here’s hoping Christina Applegate is back on the tube ASAP.

– G4’s summer line-up will include series about wannabe poker champs in 2 Months, $2 Million, and comedians commenting on “outrageous clips from women around the world participating in unusual activities” in The International Sexy Ladies Show.

– Ricky Gervais will create an animated series for HBO, based on his popular and hilarious podcasts with pals Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington.

– Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice creator Shonda Rhimes‘ new series Inside the Box, about a Washington DC newsroom, didn’t make the cut for ABC’s fall schedule, and has, according to Deadline Hollywood Daily, been sent back for “redevelopment.” Maybe execs just realized that both of her existing series were so lame this season that they require her attention more?

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• Filed in 24, Comedy, Drama, Late Night, TV News
• Tags: 24, Christine Applegate, Conan O'Brien, DVD, Ethan Zohn, Grey's Anatomy, Gunsmoke, HBO, Human Target, Inside the Box, Law & Order, Lifetime, Pearl Jam, Private Practice, Ricky Gervais, Samantha Who?, Sherri, Sherri Shepherd, Shonda Rhimes, Survivor, The Cleveland Show, The View, Tonight Show, Will Ferrell

31. Tina Fey
Funniest female on TV. I say ever, and yes, that means funnier than Lucy.

32. Special guest stars
Some people hate them, and some shows (Will & Grace, for instance) rely on them far too often. On the other hand … Alan Alda as Jack Donaghy’s dad on 30 Rock? Scott Bakula as Chuck’s dad on Chuck? Sammy Davis Jr. planting a kiss on Archie Bunker on All in the Family? Pretty much every episode of The Simpsons? A well-cast guest star can be a treat. On the other hand, sometimes they are just weird.

33. Ethan Suplee
Jason Lee and Emmy winner Jaime Pressly get all the props, but I’m still watching My Name Is Earl solely for Suplee, whose portrayal of Earl’s dimwitted brother (who occasionally pops up with a pithy observation) is sometimes over-the-top hilarious and sometimes just really sweet. I interviewed Suplee earlier in the show’s run, and he said part of the inspiration for his performance of the child-like Randy comes from simply observing his stepchildren. Really sweet indeed.

34. Jim and Pam
As with most TV couples, the road to coupledom was the best part for this Office duo, but I love how Pam has become more confident now that she’s the future Mrs. Halpert.

35. Kenneth the Page
He’s just a sweet small-town boy who loves TV, played by Jack McBrayer, a sweet, and hilarious, small-town guy who loves TV. And another of my fave interviews.

36. Reno 911!
The show that always goes there, “there” being an increasingly weirder, less politically correct and hilarious place. That’s a good thing, as is Lt. Jim Dangle’s (Thomas Lennon) short-shorts uniform, a piece of TV wardrobe that’s every bit as cool as Fonzie’s jacket, Chandler Bing’s sweater vests and June Cleaver’s pearls.

37. The Office
This season has been the show’s weakest … not as many of those watercooler moments as in seasons past. But it can still surprise with a great Michael moment, a clever prank on Dwight or some Creed weirdness. And big ups to Ed Helms, whose Andy was at first super annoying, but who has emerged – especially after his pitiful engagement to frosty Angela – to be a lovable geek.

38. Ace of Cakes
There is just something soothing about watching people make fantastic cakes, even during those Food Network Challenges when the bakers are so obviously stressed out. Maybe that’s the main appeal of the Charm City Cakes crew, from Duff (and his trademark laugh) and super-organized office manager Mary Alice to Jeff, the talented baker/designer who may be the most laidback person in the history of TV.

39. Lifetime movies
There are few things in a girl’s life better than a weekend marathon of made-for-TV movies starring Tori Spelling, Kellie Martin, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Judith Light, Meredith Baxter or anyone from the cast of Charmed. All-time best Lifetime movie title, by the way: Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?

40. The Wire
Dukie, McNulty (McNutty, as my friend Jeff calls him), Omar and his Honey Nut Cheerios … despite where he was headed when last we saw him in the series finale, I’d like to believe that Dukie ends up graduating from high school and landing a computer job. Heartbreaking show, but so worth it. The Wire: The Complete Series DVD box set is a must own, or at least, a must to Netflix.

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• Filed in I Love TV!
• Tags: 30 Rock, Ace of Cakes, Alan Alda, Charmed, Chuck, Ed Helms, Ethan Suplee, Jack McBrayer, Jaime Pressly, Jason Lee, Kenneth the Page, Lifetime, My Name Is Earl, Reno 911!, Scott Bakula, The Office, The Wire, Thomas Lennon, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Tina Fey, Tori Spelling